GDOT updates DeKalb committee on I‑285 East Express Lanes; officials press for noise and property details

Shandria Brown, GDOT’s P3 pre‑let assistant administrator, and Xavier James, the program and project manager for the I‑285 East Express Lanes, updated the DeKalb County Public Works & Infrastructure Committee on plans for the east segment and answered commissioners’ questions about public input, noise mitigation and potential property impacts.

Brown opened GDOT’s presentation by placing the I‑285 East work in the context of Georgia’s existing express lanes network and tolling system, saying the state route and toll authority has been “GDOT state agency partner in designing, operating, and financing the 67 miles of express toll lanes already in operation” and emphasizing the lanes’ role in improving transit reliability. GDOT staff told the committee the east segment covers roughly 30 center‑line miles and that procurement for that segment began in September 2024; teams were shortlisted in February 2025 and GDOT anticipates letting next summer (2026).

Xavier James described regional coordination under a May 2022 memorandum of understanding between regional governments and agencies and said the top‑end portion of the corridor has a Record of Decision from the Federal Highway Administration. He said GDOT completed public involvement open houses in October–November and is continuing technical and environmental studies; GDOT staff estimated they do not expect environmental approval for the remaining sections until about early 2028.

Commissioners focused their questions on the project’s impacts. Commissioner Shakira Johnson, whose district includes part of the corridor, asked how the public’s input from the recent comment period would be integrated into final designs; GDOT replied that while the PIH comment period has closed, additional public hearings are tentatively planned in 2027 and that more detailed design materials will be released as the procurement and design process advances. “We will have a public hearing… tentatively scheduled for ’27,” GDOT staff said.

Noise and visual impacts were a second focus. Commissioner Ted Terry asked whether federal thresholds would trigger noise studies and new sound walls. GDOT said noise and sound analyses are part of the environmental review and that the public hearing exhibits will show proposed wall locations as studies are completed. GDOT staff described two mitigation approaches: ground‑level noise walls (generally up to about 30 feet in height) and elevated roadway side barriers for sections that are raised, noting that on elevated segments they expect barriers “up to 42 inches.” GDOT also described the use of “community enhancement” barriers—design elements that look like noise walls and may be used where formal noise‑wall standards are not met.

Property impacts were raised by Commissioner Robert Patrick, who asked about a neighborhood near Henderson Mill Road known as Greystone Subdivision. GDOT said parcels adjacent to I‑285 in that area are in negotiations and stated that the agency is planning full parcel acquisition for the parcels identified: “The[s]e parcels on the gray stone… those are in negotiations right now… They’re being displaced,” GDOT said.

GDOT staff said the first constructed section will be defined as part of the procurement and that, once a developer is selected, the proposer will present a build‑out schedule. GDOT estimated a multi‑year construction program, with staff repeatedly using ranges of roughly eight to 10 years for large parts of the corridor after letting; GDOT also said additional segments and FHWA coordination may extend delivery timelines.

GDOT told commissioners that project visualization tools, environmental documents and project materials are posted on the project website and agreed to distribute the online noise tool and PIH materials to the commissioners to help them explain impacts to constituents.

Next steps: GDOT expects the procurement letting in summer 2026, additional public hearings tentatively in 2027, and completion of outstanding environmental approvals in the following years before large‑scale construction begins. Commissioners asked staff to circulate the noise‑tool link and other PIH materials to district offices so constituents can see proposed alignments and mitigation plans.

(Reporting note: direct quotes and attributions are taken from GDOT presenters and DeKalb County commissioners during the committee meeting.)